Ag News: Japan & U.S. Ethanol

**Japan’s decision to allow the use of U.S. ethanol to make ETBE, an oxygenate blended into fuel, was applauded by ethanol and grain groups.

According to agriculture.com, Japan decided American ethanol has a small enough carbon footprint that it can be used in up to 44% of Japan’s ETBE, which has the potential to be a 95.5-million-gallon market for U.S. ethanol.

But, Japan’s U.S. Grains Council estimates it will take a year or two for U.S. ethanol to enter the Japanese market.

**The U.S. Meat Export Federation has intensified its efforts to build demand for U.S. beef and pork in Africa.

The USMEF’s Monty Brown was recently in Ghana, where U.S. beef has expanded beyond the restaurant sector and achieving success with supermarkets.

Brown will also spend part of the summer in Angola and South Africa, where he's looking to expand the customer base for U.S. pork.

**President Trump is aiming remarkably high with his goal of a $25-billion increase in farm sales to China. That’s the word from Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue.

Not only is $25 billion more than double China’s expected purchasing this year, it’s equal to 18% of the forecast for all U.S. farm exports.

Agriculture.com reports, there are three scenarios to drive up the cash register total for U.S. sales to China; expansion of the Chinese market, a larger U.S. share of the Chinese market, or higher commodity prices.